Friends of Sound Horses President nearly run down during Big Lick protest

FOSH President Teresa Bippen is nearly run down and possibly killed by a black truck pulling a trailer during a peaceful protest of horse soring at a Big Lick event in Columbia, Tennessee. That’s Teresa in the pink top on the right, behind the sign she is holding up. Photo: Billy Go Boy.

One of our constituents alerted us to the goings on at a hore soring protest that took place at a Big Lick event in Tennessee this past Friday and Saturday at the Columbia Spring Jubilee.

Horse soring is the act of intentionally inflicting great pain on a gaited horse’s front legs and feet to make them snatch them up unnaturally high in an exaggerated fashion commonly called the Big Lick. If you see a horse performing the Big Lick, they have been sored.

Horses are not sored solely during performances. Horses aimed at these competitions are virtually sored their entire lives in preparation for these fiendish events.

The most commonly sored horse used for competitions like these is the Tennessee Walking Horse.

Although it is a federal crime to sore a horse, the State of Tennessee is a hotbed of animal cruelty because of its failure to rid itself of horse soring although this sadistic practice goes on in other States.

Horses lovers and members of Friends of Sound Horse (FOSH) were in Columbia, Tennessee this past Friday and Saturday to protest the horrific cruelties perpetrated on these gentle animals.

The President of FOSH Teresa Bippen escaped with her life when she was nearly run down by an enraged man driving a black truck pulling a horse trailer.

Billy Go Boy, who covers what took place in words and pictures writes:

This 5’2″ lady from Missouri joined by a Tennessee educator was exercising her constitutional rights by protesting against Animal Cruelty of “Big Lick” Tennessee Walking Horses when a burly man driving a 3/4 ton Chevrolet Dually truck, in an apparent reckless fit of rage, almost killed her.

I don’t understand either…Other than there is so much money attached to the Walking Horse industry, as you might see ThorSports is one of them they have a racing team and a huge barn. We are working really hard to get this horrible Animal Abuse stopped we all ask WHY DO YOU HURT YOUR HORSES? WHY? The penalties are not tough enough and we all know this Big Lick is not natural….I reached out to the media every news station NO one would cover the protest…I don’t understand it????????

What I don’t understand is why more people aren’t outraged. Or there is no media coverage of this. Scared of these people is all I can think of. Look what they did to Rep. Whitfield. Having him of all people investigated when there are so many true crooks, cheaters and liars in Washington DC that should be under the jail by now. SMH.

Thank you Vivian for posting this…We actually had another woman that a truck intentionally targeted….Please everyone out there help us to get this Soring stopped….My husband was with me and the cussing and flipped fingers of people to us , saying get an education when my husband is a chemical engineer is sheer ignorance on the part of these “Big Lickers”……Please anything people cant do to speak out against this do so ….My husbands first time to see these horses in the trailers and their pain as a really tough man he cried! thank you again for posting this!

I urge people to please go to our PopVox page and ENDORSE S.1121 the PAST Act and OPPOSE S.1161 Alexander’s ludicrous bill that would help the horse sorers continue their cruel and horrific practices. You can also take action on the SAFE Act regarding horse slaughter while you are there too.

Why PopVox? Because legislators and their staff log in there to see which bills you their constituents support and oppose and read your comments, that’s why. You have no such guarantee when you point and click or send letters via other methods — unless they are handwritten.

Handwritten (not typed) letters get so much attention they are known to be held up for everyone to see, and read from, during debates on the floors of the House and Senate. That’s the kind of impression a handwritten letter makes on your legislators.

It will take a minute or so to sign up on PopVox and from then on support and oppose bills, make comments, read other comments, see a map of where bill support and opposition are, and much, much more.

We have been with PopVox since they began and they are the real deal. And with so much at stake for our horses, we only use real deals. Count on it!